


New Life Starting

by Laylah



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sexswap, Community: areyougame, Difficult Relationships, F/F, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-08
Updated: 2011-03-08
Packaged: 2017-10-16 04:39:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/168502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylah/pseuds/Laylah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tonight they were in Keterberg, here on some stupid excuse when it was really obvious that everyone wanted Luka to have a chance to use the spa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Life Starting

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for this one asked for female!Luke, and it seemed that, given spoilers, it would make sense to swap them both. And then it made sense in my head to swap everyone else, too. idk.

At first she'd been jealous, of course. The stupid replica got _everything_ that should have belonged to her. But she couldn't hold onto that feeling for very long, especially not after the prince tried to apologize to her.

"I'm sorry," Nathaniel had said. "If I'd known—about you, about the replication—I never would have—"

"Shut up," Asch had said then. "Don't tell me you wish you hadn't done it. No baby should have a father who regrets her existence."

Nathaniel had kissed her then, and Asch had fled before she could get too involved with all of them.

She couldn't quite make herself _stay_ away, though. Not when she didn't trust the replica to take care of herself. Asch dogged their footsteps more closely, following, making sure Luka didn't do anything stupid—more stupid than usual—that would put her and the baby at risk. Eventually it was just easier not to go away again.

And it was...harder to stay angry, when all the others welcomed her so much. When Nathaniel's eyes softened every time he looked at her. When Gaia sparred with her and smiled at her as if they were _really_ friends this time. When Luka, like the idiot she was, kept trying to thank Asch for caring. If Jade hadn't been consistently nasty to her, Asch might have gotten sick from the excessive kindness.

Tonight they were in Keterberg, here on some stupid excuse when it was really obvious that everyone wanted Luka to have a chance to use the spa. She was getting pretty far along, her breasts swollen, her belly stretched and rounded. Asch couldn't stop sneaking glances at her when they were down in the women's bath—Gaia caught her at it, even, but she was polite enough not to say anything.

Now they were up in their room—well, Luka was in the main room of their suite, and Asch was in the bathroom, getting changed out of her swimsuit and into some loose pajamas. It still felt weird to undress in front of each other.

When Asch came out of the bathroom, though, Luka wasn't really dressed again. She'd gotten rid of her swimsuit, but all she'd put on was a pair of panties and one of the soft robes the spa provided. It hung open around the swell of her belly. Asch looked away, scowling. "What, did you forget how to dress yourself?"

"No," Luka snapped, as if it was a serious question. "It's just...still sort of weird sometimes, you know?" Her voice was hushed and hesitant enough that Asch had to look. Luka's hands traced the curve of her own stomach, and she was looking at herself in the mirror. She glanced over at Asch and smiled for just a second. "Nobody gets us mixed up anymore, at least."

Asch snorted, trying not to let it turn into a real laugh. "You watch, somebody will run into me here and ask when I had the baby."

Luka made a face, and for a second Asch could believe she wasn't happy about the mixups either. Then her eyes widened, and despite herself Asch tensed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Luka said. She smiled. "It just surprised me. She's kicking."

"She's...." Asch trailed off. Sometimes it seemed sort of unreal, abstract, the idea that Luka was pregnant. Then there would be moments like this, when it was suddenly real: Luka was having a _baby_.

"Here." Luka reached out a hand. "You want to feel?"

Asch wasn't sure, but she nodded. She came closer, let Luka take her hand and press it to the warm curve of Luka's bare stomach. At first she didn't feel anything, just the smoothness of Luka's skin, but then there was a tiny pulse of movement under her hand. "Was that...?"

Luka nodded, and grinned when it happened again. "She's pretty fierce," she said. "And stubborn," she added, when the movement happened again.

"Well, what do you expect?" Asch asked. "She has Fabre genes, after all."

"Yeah," Luka said, nodding slowly. "Thanks, Asch."

Asch looked away. "Don't be stupid," she said. "You don't have anything to thank me for." She sank to her knees slowly, leaning in to press her cheek to the curve of Luka's belly. She could feel the baby moving. A new life starting in the middle of this huge destructive cycle they were trying so hard to disrupt.

"I think she likes you," Luka said.

"She doesn't know who I am," Asch said. "She's not even born yet."

"Yeah, but we share the same frequency, so—" Luka cut herself off at Asch's skeptical glare. "Anyway, she _will_ like you. I'm sure she will."

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Asch said. She'd gotten too involved with all of them. She never should have let herself get this close. "Don't assume I'm going to be around forever."

Luka sighed. "Okay," she said. She took Asch's hand again. "How about just tonight, then? Will you stay with me—with us—tonight?"

Asch wanted to say something biting, something to remind Luka that getting close to her was a bad idea—but she hesitated, tongue-tied, and then it was too late. "Just this once," she allowed. Damn Luka's stupid smile anyway.

Getting in bed and getting comfortable was sort of a production at this point, apparently, but eventually Luka settled in, curled up on her side with a pillow between her knees. Asch stretched out behind her, one arm around her to splay a protective hand over her belly. She could feel a heartbeat there, steady, and she wondered if it was Luka's or the baby's.

This couldn't last, even if Luka didn't get that yet. But for now...well. Maybe for now it would be all right.


End file.
